Underrated gems

I am starting this thread to talk about underrated/unknown gems of performances.

To start with :

Tendulkar's least-talked about masterpiece

West Indies Vs India
3rd Test Match
Calcutta (Kolkota)
Oct-Nov 2002

India batted first and scored 358 runs on a typical Indian track, thanks to small individual contributions throughout, although none of them scored a 50. West Indies responded to this in spectacular fashion scoring 497 with three of their batsmen scoring centuries. India facing a deficit of 139 runs, started poorly losing 2 wickets for just 11 runs when Tendulkar walked in. It became worse and India stared at defeat when the score read 87-4, still 42 runs behind. Laxman joined Tendulkar at this crucial juncture.

What followed was a chalk and cheese counter attack. Tendulkar was sublime yet aggressive, while Laxman played a watch-the-paint-dry innings. Both of them were involved in a partnership of 211 runs out of which Tendulkar accounted for a majority chunk. In fact, when Tendulkar was dismissed for 176 crucial runs, he had accounted for a whopping 58% of the then Indian total of 301, despite coming at 2 down. He also scored these runs at a good SR of 60 on a last day pitch. Laxman ensured that his good work did not go down the drains, and with the help of tailend batsmen, India salvaged a draw by scoring 471-8 wickets and thus ensured they won the series 2-0.

Michael Vaughan's second-innings 41 at Lord's in 2000 and first-innings 26 at SSC in 2000/01. Not remotely eye-catching innings in general context, but if you look at the matches in themselves you'll realise how incredibly important they were. Both games finished in less than three days' worth of playing time, and in both of them Vaughan played second fiddle in the partnership that decided the match in England's favour (first with Atherton, then Thorpe). Those innings' were worth more than several of his centuries on flat decks against nothing bowling in 2002 and early-2003.

1) Had double pneumonia as a kid, as did my twin sis. Doctors told my parents to pray that we lived through the night. Dad said **** off, I'm an atheist, you ****s better save my kids, etc. Then prayed anyway.

Much has been made of Sunny Gavaskar's performance in that series and deservedly so, but IMO it was Sardesai who set the tone by scoring a double tone in the first test of the series. Highly underrated Indian cricketer and the most underrated innings by an Indian batsman IMO.

Another gem is the century by Pat Symcox, of all people, against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 1998. Given that SA were 166-8, and he pulled them to 364, against an in-form attack of Waqar, Shoaib, Mushtaq, and Saqlain, this is probably one of the greatest innings ever by a tailender.